A cross-sectional study of Jamaican adolescents' risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular Disease in the Caribbean: Risk Factor Trends, Care and Outcomes Still Far From Expectations

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major public health concern in the Caribbean. Cardiovascular care in the Caribbean revealed encouraging improvements but still less than expectations. This study aims to gain insight into CVD and identify gaps in cardiovascular care in the Caribbean compared to high-income countries. More specifically, this review reports on the epidemiology, CVD risk factors, management practices, and patient outcomes (quality of life (QOL) and mortality). A systematic review of peer-reviewed articles was conducted to assess the CVD of individuals in the Caribbean from 1959 to 2022.Using multiple search engines and keywords, a systematic review of relevant peer-reviewed CVD articles was conducted using the necessary inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant data of studies were classified by title, publication year, location, type and size of samples, and results. Further analysis grouped patients by epidemiological profile, CVD risk, management, and selected outcomes (quality of life and inpatient mortality).  From the initial review of 1,553 articles, 36 were analyzed from Trinidad and Tobago (20), Barbados (4), Jamaica (7), along with the Bahamas (2), British Virgin Islands (1), Bonaire (1), and one article from a Caribbean study. The social environment of fast food, sedentary jobs, and stress determinants are postulated to be precursors for an increase in CV risks. CVD in the Caribbean reveals a high prevalence of CV risks, suboptimal care, poor compliance, and high inpatient mortality compared with high-income countries. Greater efforts are required to improve CVD care at all stages, including in the social environment.

Diabetes-associated dermatological manifestations in primary care and their association with vascular complications

INTRODUCTION

Although type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global public health problem, the diabetes-associated dermatological (non-infectious) manifestations (DADM) remain poorly understood and under-diagnosed. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of 7 known DADM in a primary care setting, and their association macro/microvascular complications.

METHODS

Cross-sectionnal study included patients consulting in general practice for DM-follow up, from November 2016 to January 2017. Patients aged <18 years old or consulting for other reason than DM follow up were excluded. Each patient were screened for diabetic dermopathy (DD), Huntley's papules (HP), necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum (NL), acanthosis nigricans (AN), cheiroarthropathy (CA, or stiff hand syndrom), scleredema adultorum of Buschke (SB) and bullosis diabeticorum (BD).

RESULTS

213 diabetic patients were included over a period of 3 months. We found a prevalence of 17.8% (38 patients) for DD, 8.5% (18) for HP, 2.8% (6) for NL, 2.3% (5) for AN, 1.9% (4) for CA, 1.4% (3) for SB and 1.4% (3) for BD. DADM seems to be a risk factor for vascular complications (OR 1.97, p ≤ 0.001). Association with vascular involvement was stronger with DD and macroangiopathy (OR 1.86, p ≤ 0.001), and with NL and microangiopathy (OR 9.7, p ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In primary care, DM-associated dermatological manifestations present similar prevalence rates to a tertiary care setting, based on litterature. Complete dermatological examination of diabetic patients is essential and could lead to a better overall management of the pathology, as diabetic cutaneous manifestations appear as a sign of vascular involvement.

An updated systematic review and meta-analysis on the social determinants of diabetes and related risk factors in the Caribbean

OBJECTIVES

To conduct an analysis of the most recent data on diabetes and its risk factors by gender and other social determinants of health to understand why its prevalence is higher among women than men in the Caribbean; to inform policy agenda-setting for diabetes prevention and control in the Caribbean; and to identify gaps in the evidence that require further research.

METHODS

A previous systematic review of the literature describing studies conducted in the Caribbean that presented the distribution of diabetes, its outcomes, and risk factors, by one or more social determinants, was updated to include sources from 1 January 2007 - 31 December 2016. Surveys by the World Health Organization (WHO) were also included. Where data were sufficient, meta-analyses were undertaken.

RESULTS

A total of 8 326 manuscripts were identified. Of those, 282 were selected for full text review, and 114, for abstraction. In all, 36 papers, including WHO-related surveys, had sufficient information for meta-analysis. More women compared to men were obese (OR: 2.1; 95%CI = 1.65 - 2.69), physically inactive (OR: 2.18; 95%CI = 1.75 - 2.72), and had diabetes (OR: 1.48; 95%CI = 1.25 - 1.76). More men smoked (OR: 4.27; 95%CI = 3.18 - 5.74) and had inadequate fruit and vegetable intake (OR: 1.37; 95%CI = 1.21 - 1.57).

CONCLUSION

Thirty-six papers were added to the previously conducted systematic review; of those, 13 were added to the meta-analysis. Diabetes and its risk factors (primarily obesity and physical inactivity) continue to disproportionately affect women in the Caribbean. Smoking interventions should be targeted at men in this geographic area.

Absence of Adolescent Obesity in Grenada: Is This a Generational Effect?

Background: Low- and middle-income countries are affected disproportionately by the ongoing global obesity pandemic. Representing a middle income country, the high prevalence of obesity among Grenadian adults as compared to US adults is expected as part of global obesity trends. The objective of this study was to determine if Grenadian adolescents have a higher prevalence of overweight compared to their US counterparts, and if a disparity exists between urban and rural adolescents. Methods: Using a subcohort of participants in the Grenadian Nutrition Student Survey, diet quality and anthropometric measures were collected from 55% of the classrooms of first year secondary students in Grenada (n = 639). Rural or urban designations were given to each school. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and categorized as overweight or obese for each student following CDC classification cutoffs. A standardized BMI (BMIz) was calculated for each school. Sex-specific BMI and overall BMIz were compared to a 1980s US cohort. Multilevel models, overall and stratified by sex, of students nested within schools were conducted to determine if BMIz differed by rural or urban locality, gender, and diet quality. Results: The mean age of this cohort was 12.7 (SD = 0.8) years with 83.8% of the cohort identifying as Afro-Caribbean. Females had nearly twice the prevalence of overweight when compared to males (22.7 vs. 12.2%) but a similar prevalence of obesity (8.2 vs. 6.8%). Grenadian adolescents had lower prevalence of overweight (females: 22.7 vs. 44.7%; males: 12.2 vs. 38.8%, respectively) as compared to US counterparts. Eating a traditional diet was negatively associated with BMIz score among females ( β ^ = -0.395; SE = 0.123) in a stratified, multilevel analysis. BMIz scores did not differ significantly by rural or urban school designation. Conclusions: Among Grenadian adolescents, this study identified a lower overweight prevalence compared to US counterparts and no difference in overweight prevalence by urban or rural location. We hypothesize that the late introduction of processed foods to Grenada protected this cohort from obesogenic promoters due to a lack of fetal overnutrition. However, further research in subsequent birth cohorts is needed to determine if adolescent obesity will increase due to a generational effect.

High prevalence and clustering of modifiable CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in southwest Nigeria: implication for grass root prevention

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an immense global problem with serious economic and social consequences. Modifiable risk factors for CVD have been identified internationally in adolescents where early intervention programs have the potential to reduce CVD risk on individual and population levels. In developing countries such as Nigeria, little is known about the prevalence of modifiable CVD risk factors among adolescents especially in the rural areas.

Methods

This paper reports on a cross-sectional survey of modifiable CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in South-West Nigeria. All 15–18 years old adolescents in all the schools at Ibarapa central local government were approached and all those who assented and consented to participate in the study were involved. A total of 1500 adolescents participated in the study. Measurements of CVD risks factors taken were; smoking, physical activity, alcohol, dietary pattern using a questionnaire developed by authors. Other CVD risk factors such as waist hip ratio and BMI were taken using standardized instruments. Data were analyzed using STATA version 12.

Results

Data from 1079 adolescents (56.5 % males and 53.5 % females) were analyzed. Mean age of males was 16.4 ± 1.14 years and mean age for females was 16.29 ± 1.13 years. Adolescents showed clustering of CVD risk factors with about 72 % having between two and four risk factors. A total of 102 clustering patterns were reported. The most common clustering pattern (19.6 %) included high animal lipid and salt diet.

Conclusion

There is high level and clustering of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in Southwest Nigeria. The most common clustering pattern was biased towards dietary factors. The high prevalence of CVD risk factors among rural adolescents in Southwest Nigeria suggests that urgent primary prevention programs are required to prevent the next generation of Nigerians from suffering of CVD.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2028-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

National surveillance for type 1, type 2 diabetes and prediabetes among children and adolescents: a population-based study (SAUDI-DM)

Background

There is a paucity of data on the national prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes among youth. The Saudi Abnormal Glucose Metabolism and Diabetes Impact Study (SAUDI-DM) was used to assess the prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as impaired fasting glucose (IFG) among children and adolescents.

Methods

Sociodemographic, anthropometric and clinical data were collected through a nationwide household randomly selected 23 523 children and adolescents aged ≤18 years. Known participants with diabetes were classified according to their diabetes type, while participants without diabetes were subjected to fasting plasma glucose assessment and patients with diabetes were identified using the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. All the studied participants were tested for lipid parameters. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess different risk factors.

Results

The overall prevalence of diabetes was 10.84%, of which 0.45% were known type 1 and type 2 patients with diabetes and 10.39% were either newly identified cases of diabetes (4.27%) or IFG (6.12%) with more than 90% of the participants with diabetes being unaware of their disease. The prevalence of known type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as the newly identified cases was higher than what has been reported internationally. Age, male gender, obesity, urban residency, high family income and presence of dyslipidaemia were found to be significant risk factors for diabetes and IFG.

Conclusions

Diabetes and IFG are highly prevalent in this society with the majority of the patients being unaware of their disease, which warrants urgent adoption of early detection, treatment and prevention programmes.

Female gender is a social determinant of diabetes in the Caribbean: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Diabetes (DM) is estimated to affect 10–15% of the adult population in the Caribbean. Preventive efforts require population wide measures to address its social determinants. We undertook a systematic review to determine current knowledge about the social distribution of diabetes, its risk factors and major complications in the Caribbean. This paper describes our findings on the distribution by gender.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase and five databases through the Virtual Health Library, for Caribbean studies published between 2007 and 2013 that described the distribution by gender for: known risk factors for Type 2 DM, prevalence of DM, and DM control or complications. PRISMA guidance on reporting systematic reviews on health equity was followed. Only quantitative studies (n>50) were included; each was assessed for risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed, where appropriate, on studies with a low or medium risk of bias, using random effects models.

Results

We found 50 articles from 27 studies, yielding 118 relationships between gender and the outcomes. Women were more likely to have DM, obesity, be less physically active but less likely to smoke. In meta-analyses of good quality population-based studies odds ratios for women vs. men for DM, obesity and smoking were: 1.65 (95% CI 1.43, 1.91), 3.10 (2.43, 3.94), and 0.24 (0.17, 0.34). Three studies found men more likely to have better glycaemic control but only one achieved statistical significance.

Conclusion and Implications

Female gender is a determinant of DM prevalence in the Caribbean. In the vast majority of world regions women are at a similar or lower risk of type 2 diabetes than men, even when obesity is higher in women. Caribbean female excess of diabetes may be due to a much greater excess of risk factors in women, especially obesity. These findings have major implications for preventive policies and research.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in college students: association with sociodemographic variables

OBJECTIVE

identify the modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in college students and associate these factors with their sociodemographic variables.

METHOD

cross-sectional study, involving 702 college students from Fortaleza-CE, Brazil. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, physical exercise data and blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose levels were collected.

RESULTS

the most prevalent risk factor was sedentariness, followed by overweight, central obesity, high fasting plasma glucose and arterial hypertension. A statistically significant association was found between overweight and sex (p=0.000), age (p=0.004) and marital status (p=0.012), as well as between central obesity and age (p=0.018) and marital status (p=0.007) and between high fasting plasma glucose and sex (p=0.033).

CONCLUSION

distinct risk factors were present in the study population, particularly sedentariness and overweight.